The primary goal of the Penn State University-Minority Health Disparities International Research Training (PSU-MHIRT) Program is to provide public health research training, career development opportunities and international linkages focusing on health disparities in the fields of tobacco control research and HIV/AIDS research for undergraduate and graduate students from health disparities groups that are underrepresented in health-related research. The foreign sties are in Paris, France; Geneva, Switzerland, Cape Town, South Africa; and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Based on the success of the present PSU-MIRT Program, we maintain that the proposed initiative will result in greater interest in health disparities research, global health problems, employment opportunities, and successful careers as public health researchers or professionals who will work for the elimination of health disparities among underserved populations in the U.S. and developing countries. The specific aims are: [unreadable] 1) Encourage minority students to pursue graduate level research careers in public health or bio-behavioral health sciences that focus on health disparities in tobacco control and/or HIV/AIDS. The project will inform, recruit, and enroll 10 students (8 undergraduates and 2 graduate students) per year in the PSU-MHIRT Program. [unreadable] 2) Provide research training opportunities for expanding minority student and faculty interest in global health issues through: 1) student/mentor placements; 2) faculty/student study teams; 3) conference presentations; and 4) co-authorship of papers in peer reviewed scientific journals. [unreadable] 3) Establish and maintain professional and organizational linkages between international health centers, public health researchers and scientists in France, WHO/TFI in Geneva, Dar es Salaam, Cape Town, and underrepresented minority scientists, undergraduate and graduate students. [unreadable] 4) Collaborate with mentors/researchers on specific health research projects to provide experience and enhance training and professional development of PSU-MHIRT students in areas of secondary data analysis and developing empirical skills in study design, evaluation research, measurement and data collection methods. [unreadable] [unreadable]